Gavi will have to wait for the No. 6 shirt at Barcelona

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that Gavi will have to wait to be handed the No. 6 shirt and be officially registered with the first team.

The teenager was handed a contract extension earlier this season that runs until 2026 and contains a 1 billion euro buyout clause.

However, financial fair play issues mean that Barcelona will wait until the end of the season to register his new contract and officially incorporate him into the first team.

Laporta revealed as much in an interview with SER on Thursday, explaining: “We will have to wait until June to resolve this issue, but he is already registered and can play with us.”

The Barcelona president also spoke about Alejandro Balde’s future, with the defender also set for a new deal, and seemed confident everything is on the right track.

“It is going well. There is a good relationship with his representative, Jorge Mendes,” he added. “He wants to continue at Barça and we have everything covered.”

Balde is expected to become the latest Barcelona youngster to be handed a new long-term deal with a huge release clause in a bid to secure his future.